WFF staff face shift time changes

A+cleaning+cart+left+by+a+WFF+janitorial+worker+sits+in+a+hallway+on+Aug.+21%2C+2019.++Loyola+WFF+workers+had+their+hours+changed+to+overnight+and+early+morning+shifts+for+the+current+school+year.+

Michael Bauer

A cleaning cart left by a WFF janitorial worker sits in a hallway on Aug. 21, 2019. Loyola WFF workers had their hours changed to overnight and early morning shifts for the current school year.

Jc Canicosa

The Loyola community should expect to see fewer janitorial staff on campus during the day.

The staff of WFF, Loyola’s janitorial services vendor, have had their shifts moved from during the day to either early in the morning or overnight, making some workers end their shifts after midnight.

This transition, which occured mid-summer, is intended to prevent workers from cleaning during scheduled university activities, according to University President Tania Tetlow, who said the new shifts actually reflect a standard in the industry.

“While we love it when they work here in the middle of the day, because these are people that have worked here for decades and are the friendliest people on campus and we adore them, it is harder for them to do the work when they are working around us,” said Tetlow.

The new shift hours for the majority of workers are from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

These changes to working hours have only been implemented in classroom buildings.

The university worked with WFF to negotiate the new hours, which were originally projected to end later, according to Patricia Murret, associate director of public affairs.

Tetlow emphasized that WFF is a contract vendor, not a part of the university, so while Loyola can impliment policies regarding minimum salaries and benefits of staff members, these policies do not give the university the power to change the hours of WFF workers..

At a town hall over the summer, some university faculty members expressed concerns for the safety of WFF workers who will be ending their shifts after midnight. Murret said that LUPD is available to provide escorts to staff needing assistance or extra security while leaving campus.

The shift changes did not result in any WFF employees being let go, according to Murret.

An administrator speaking on behalf of WFF declined to comment on this story.